Orange Softball

When you’re used to winning, the end of the season feels sudden.

For Orange softball, losing in the first round of the 3A State Playoffs was one thing. How it happened was another.

For a fleeting moment in the 7th inning, it appeared Panther designated player Kelsey Tackett would bring the tying run to bat with a sharply hit line drive to right field. It would have been her second hit of the game.

Southwestern Randolph second baseman Carleigh Whitson, with the reflexes of a cat, stood in the way.

Well, dove in the way.

With her body parallel to the ground, Whitson lunged on a diving catch for the final out. In an instant, Orange’s 12-game winning streak was over. So was its season.

Whitson’s defensive gem was an appropriate finale. The Lady Panthers romped through the Big 8 Conference by forcing opposing defenses into mistakes and racked up one unearned run after another until they captured the league championship.

The message that Orange sent to opposing teams was “prove you can play defense on us.” It worked until Monday night, when Southwestern Randolph showed it was the best defensive team the Lady Panthers had faced.

The Cougars (9-4) defeated Orange 7-5 at Orange Softball Field in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. Southwestern Randolph, who tied Southern Alamance for the Mid-Piedmont Conference championship, will travel to Clayton for the second round on Wednesday night.

Orange ends the season 12-1 after winning the Big 8 Championship outright. It was the first time all year that the Lady Panthers were held below eleven runs in a game.

Orange pitcher Gracie Walker, who injured her quad while running to first on a single in the 6th inning against Northern Durham last Thursday, was pulled in the second inning after she surrendered four runs on three hits and two walks. Freshman Caden Robinson pitched the rest of the way. In five-and-two-thirds innings, she conceded five hits and three runs, with six strikeouts.

“I don’t know if we were tight to begin the game,” Orange Coach Johnny Barefoot said. “We knew what we had to do. We might have thought it was do or die early. But they settled down and I’m very proud of them.”

Southwestern Randolph struck for two runs in the first inning. Leadoff batter Alex Coleman, who came into the game hitting .733, walked. After Haley Epps moved her over on a sacrifice bunt, Walker struck out Molly Strider. Cougar catcher Gracie Ward stroked a single to centerfield to bring in Coleman.

Right fielder Ally Lowe lined a single to left that took a sharp bounce off the ground and struck left fielder Savannah Wynne in the face. The hit scored courtesy runner Lileigh Payne. Wynne suffered a broken nose and left the game–for two innings. She was taken to the hospital later, but remarkably finished the game.

In its first at-bat, Orange put Southwest Randolph to the test right away. Serenity McPherson lined the first pitch she saw off the leg of freshman Cougar pitcher Lindsey Beck, who remained in the game. Shortstop Carson Bradsher reached on an infield hit. Normally, McPherson and Bradsher each getting on board to start an inning is a recipe for disaster against opposing teams. Instead, the Cougars emerged unscathed when catcher Lauren Jackson grounded out to Strider at third base, then first baseman Lindsi Brown threw to Ward to tag out McPherson at the plate for the final out.

Centerfielder Caressa King walked to lead off the 2nd inning. After Beck delivered another sacrifice bunt, Brown lined a hard single off Emma Puckett’s leg at third base to score King. Robinson replaced Walker as pitcher, but Coleman drilled a double to the right field gap to plate Brown and increase Southwestern Randolph’s lead to 4-0.

Orange freshman Delaney Shaffer led off the third inning with a solid bunt to third. Against most teams in the Big 8 Conference, it would have been a much-needed leadoff hit. Against the Cougars, it was bare-handed by Strider, who fired to first for an out.

As the Lady Panthers’ offense struggled to get on track, the Cougars relied on the longball to pad its lead. King led off the fourth inning with a solo blast to centerfield. In the fifth, Strider stroked a first-pitch fastball over the centerfield wall to push the SWRHS advantage to 6-0.

Jackson put a long-awaited jolt into the Orange offense with a double to the right-centerfield wall to lead off the sixth inning Mary Moss Wirt lined a two-run homer over the left field wall, nearly hitting the scoreboard, for Orange’s first runs. But it wasn’t over.

Puckett sent a squibber off the end of her bat barely five feet from the plate for a single. Wynne, with a yet-to-be diagnosed broken nose, reentered the game and stroked a double to right field which scored Puckett. Walker, who moved to right field after being replaced as pitcher, lined a fastball to right field that was nearly caught by Ally Lowe. Puckett scored to cut the Cougar lead to 6-4.

This was the dream scenario for an Orange comeback. Walker at second with one out and the tying run at the plate. But Beck struck out McPherson, then Bradsher flew out to left field when Coleman made the catch despite the wind nearly blowing it over her head.

Coleman scored Southwestern Randolph’s final run. She reached off a perfect bunt right that inched down the third base line. She stole second and went to third after Epps reached on an error. Strider grounded out to Bradsher, which brought Coleman in.

Trailing 7-4, Orange got hope from Jackson, who lined a solo homer to left field. Jackson ended the year with four home runs in her final four games.

As Orange’s season ended, its stint in the Big 8 Conference is also over. They will move into a whole new world in a yet-to-be-named league that’s so full of softball powerhouses, the NCHSAA should just call it the Southeastern Conference Northern Division and be done with it.

There’s defending 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance. Perennial power Western Alamance. And familiar face Person, who hasn’t been a conference rival to Orange in over 20 years. That will change in August.

Monday’s battle featured teams that were mirror images of each other. Orange loses two seniors, Emma Puckett and Gracie Colley. The Cougars will lose just three. Both teams had freshman pitchers the vast majority of the game.

As Orange ventures into a new conference with stiffer competition, Barefoot isn’t about to forget his memorable first year at Orange that made history, even if the end came too soon.

“They battled,” Barefoot said. “Most teams when they were down 6-0 would have just hung their head. I told them the only difference between winning and losing is those that give up. They come to life and they played hard. I’m proud of them.”

Jaylin Jones: Jones was named to the Division III USA South Athletic Conference first-team as a short-stick defensive midfielder over the weekend. Jones, who played lacrosse and football at Orange, also was named to the USA South All-East Division first-team. On Saturday, Pfeiffer captured the USA South East Division championship with a 13-11 win over Greensboro College at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. It was Pfeiffer’s tenth consecutive victory, a school record. Jones had two ground balls and created two turnovers. Next weekend, Pfeiffer will face Piedmont College for the USA South Conference championship at Lefko Field. The winner advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Montana Davidson: On Friday, the former Orange High shortstop hit two home runs for the Mississippi State softball team in an 8-7 loss to South Carolina at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, S.C. In the second inning, Montana drilled a two-run homer to centerfield. In the fourth, Davidson hit a solo blast to left field. Montana finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Mississippi State bounced back with wins on Saturday and Sunday to take the series. On Saturday, Montana had an RBI off a fielder’s choice to wrap up a 6-run 1st inning as the Bulldogs won 6-2. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI double as Mississippi State won 7-1. For the weekend, Montana hit .400 with a team-high 6 RBIs.

Mia Davidson: Mia tied a Mississippi State record with her 67th career home run in Sunday’s win over the Gamecocks. Davidson hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie Rafael Palmeiro for the most home runs in Mississippi State history, baseball or softball. Mia is now in 3rd place in Southeastern Conference softball history for career home runs behind Florida’s Lauren Haeger (71) and Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo (69). Davidson also drew a walk with the bases loaded against the Gamecocks in the sixth inning. On Saturday, Mia drove in the Bulldogs’ opening run with another bases loaded walk. She finished 1-for-3. On Friday, she went 0-for-3. Mississippi State is now 27-22, 3-15 in the SEC.

Tori Dalehite: On Saturday, Mercer defeated UNC Greensboro softball 2-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Sikes Field in Macon, GA. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner. The Spartans rebounded to win the final two games of the series and are now 28-15 overall, 11-4 in the Southern Conference.

Jaden Hurdle: On the weekend she celebrated her 19th birthday, Hurdle had several strong performances for the Patrick Henry Community College softball team. On Sunday, Patrick Henry swept a doubleheader from Surry Community College in Martinsville, VA. In the opening 4-3 win, Hurdle earned the save as she threw the final two-thirds of an inning. She surrendered one hit. At the plate, Hurdle went 0-for-3. The Patriots won the nightcap 4-0. Hurdle hit her ninth home run of the season. She also had an RBI double and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. On Friday, Florence-Darlington Technical College swept a doubleheader from Patrick Henry by identical 5-2 scores. In the opener, Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a double. Patrick Henry finished the regular season 19-17 overall, 13-7 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Patriots finished 3rd in the Region X West Division, only one game behind first-place Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. In 34 games, Hurdle hit .356 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. On May 14, Patrick Henry will be in the Region 10 Tournament at Springwood Park in Burlington.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory on Saturday. Catawba Valley took the opener 9-2. Andrews, starting a shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the first inning. Andrews later scored off a double by Lillie Pennington. CCTI took the second game 14-7. Andrews went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the 3rd inning. Catawba Valley finished the regular season 23-11, 12- 8 in Region X. Andrews played in all of the Red Hawks’ games and was second on the team with a .461 batting average (10th in Region X). She led the team with 53 hits (4th in Region X) and 41 RBIs (tied for 4th in Region X). Andrews also scored 35 runs (3rd on the team), hit eleven doubles (2nd on the team), and eight home runs (2nd). She goes into the Region X Tournament on a 7-game hitting streak.

Landon Riley: Riley earned his second win of the season for the Liberty baseball team in a 9-8 victory over Bellarmine on Sunday. In one-third of an inning, Riley surrendered three runs off three hits. It was only the second game this year where Riley surrendered a run. The Flames earned the walkoff win in the bottom of the ninth inning when Logan Mathieu hit a two-run homer. The Flames are now 30-11, 14-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was optioned by the Atlanta Braves to the team’s alternate training site after he started Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. In three innings, Wilson surrendered seven runs off four hits with two walks and one strikeout. The Cubs won 9-3 and Wilson fell to 1-2 on the year.

Natalie Chandler: The #2 UNC women’s soccer team has started play in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels defeated Denver 2-0 in Matthews on Friday. Chandler, who was the captain of the Orange women’s soccer team in her junior and senior seasons, is a senior for the Tar Heels. UNC will face Washington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Wednesday.

Throughout this shortened season, the Orange softball coach staff has tried to arrange a matchup against a team from the Mid-Piedmont Conference.

Now, they’ll get it. Just not against the one they thought.

Orange will face Southwestern Randolph in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs on Monday night at 6PM in Hillsborough. The winner will face the victor of Southern Nash vs. Clayton, each of whom won their respective conferences.

The Lady Panthers, who became the first softball team in the history of the school to finish undefeated in the regular season after beating Northern Durham 12-0 on Thursday, are the #2 overall seed in the East. It’s the ninth straight time that Orange has made the 3A State Playoffs (not counting last year’s canceled tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Southwestern Randolph (8-4) tied for the Mid-Piedmont Conference Championship with Southern Alamance. The Cougars opened the season with a 5-4 win over the Patriots on March 27, which turned out to be the first of three meetings. Southern Alamance took the rematch 15-0 on April 8 in Graham. On Thursday night, they met again in a special one-game playoff to determine the #1 seed from the Mid-Piedmont in Asheboro, which the Patriots captured 5-0.

Orange didn’t play a nonconference game this year, despite the best efforts of head coach Johnny Barefoot. In early April, Barefoot had reached an agreement with Southern Alamance officials to play a game against the Patriots in Graham, which was scheduled for this past week. But it was delayed twice and ultimately canceled, due in part to the Patriot’s special playoff game against Southwestern Randolph.

Orange is one of five 3A teams to finish the regular season undefeated. The others are D.H. Conley, Piedmont, West Brunswick and Crest.

Usually a 64-team tournament, this year’s 3A State Championship was scaled back to 32 teams because of the pandemic, like almost all other team sports. Among the 16 teams in the East Region, the only other Big 8 Conference squad to make the field was Northern Durham. The Knights earned a #11 seed and will travel to Morehead City to face West Carteret, who captured the Coastal Conference championship for the third year in a row.

For the first time since 2017, Cedar Ridge will miss the playoffs. With a 9-5 overall record, the Red Wolves were denied one of the four wildcard spots from the Eastern Region. Cedar Ridge ended the season with four straight wins, ending with a doubleheader sweep of Southern Durham on Friday night at Red Wolves Softball Stadium. Cedar Ridge came the closest to beating Orange in the regular season after they scored seven runs in the seventh inning to send the game to extra innings. Orange won 11-9 in nine innings.

The size of the field wasn’t the only change created by the pandemic. The NCHSAA relied on a predetermined draw, rather than seeding from MaxPreps, to finalize the bracket. Orange, which ended the regular season ranked #3 in the state by MaxPreps among 3A teams, benefited greatly from this method. If they advance far enough, the Lady Panthers are guaranteed home games through the first three rounds.

With a reduced field, the Eastern Region shouldn’t lack for drama. Two teams from the Mid State Conference, including defending 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance, made the postseason. The Eagles, seeded fifth, open with Havelock. Western Alamance, the Mid State Runner-up, will travel to Hope Mills to face Gray’s Creek.

Topsail, which finished second in the 4A/3A Mideastern Conference (behind Hoggard, a 4A team), earned the #1 seed. The Pirates open with Franklinton. D.H. Conley, which is ranked #1 in the MaxPreps rankings, was seeded #8 and could potentially travel to Topsail for the second round on Wednesday.

The second round of the playoffs is slated for Wednesday. The 3rd round is scheduled for next Friday.

In terms of sports arguments created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the surfaced hasn’t even been touched, much less scratched.

Those who care about high school sports across northern Orange County will be left to wonder whether Cedar Ridge 3rd baseman Takia Nichols could have broken Mia Davidson’s statewide home run record of 53 with a full slate in her sophomore and junior seasons (and if she had played home games in a smaller ballpark). Or whether the Orange baseball team could have captured the Big 8 Conference championship before the pandemic ended its season after just five games in 2020.

The Orange softball team now has created its own realm of argument. The players, comprised primarily of sophomores and freshmen, didn’t create a 12-game regular season schedule in a sport where the standard slate is around 20 games. They just had to play it.

And history will show they did it very well.

On Thursday night, the Orange softball team became the first team in Hillsborough history to finish a regular season undefeated with a 12-0 win over Northern Durham at Knights Softball Field. Orange completed the year 12-0. The 2017 Orange team, which claimed the 3A State Championship, finished the regular season 18-2 with losses to J.F. Webb (then a conference rival) and perennial 2A power South Granville.

Cedar Ridge’s 2018 team ended the regular season 15-1, with its lone blemish a 2-1 loss to Roxboro Community School in the second week of the year.

Orange had a nonconfernece game scheduled at Southern Alamance for Friday night, but it was canceled Thursday.

Thus, the Lady Panthers didn’t play any non-Big 8 Conference games during the regular season. Whether a contest against Person or Southern Alamance would have led to a loss going into the state playoffs is a topic of debate.

What is undebatable is that Orange rolled through the Big 8 in dominant fashion. They outscored opponents 167-16. Of its 12 wins, six were shutouts and ten were via the run rule (the game was stopped early because Orange led by at least ten runs after five innings).

On Thursday, Junior catcher Lauren Jackson finished 4-for-4 with two home runs, including a two-run blast during a six-run 3rd inning. Jackson also doubled in the seventh.

Pitcher Gracie Walker improved to 4-0. In five innings, Walker surrendered only one hit with eight strikeouts. She retired the first nine Knights she faced. Northern didn’t get its first batter on base until catcher Abi Walker was hit by a bounced pitch to lead off the fourth. Aubrey Clayton’s single in the fourth, which was nearly caught by freshman left fielder Delaney Shaffer, was the only hit that Walker conceded.

The Knights (11-3) never had a runner reach third base.

Orange pounded out 17 hits, tied for its second-best total of the year (they had 21 against Cedar Ridge on March 23). Jackson led off the second inning with a low line drive of a home run that cleared the centerfield fence by inches.

It appeared Orange would go away meekly in the third after its first two batters were retired. Serenity McPherson, who hit safely in all 12 of Orange’s games this year, stroked a double to left centerfield to start of string of seven consecutive Panther hits. Carson Bradsher bounced a 2-1 fastball up the middle to score McPherson and the parade was underway.

Caden Robinson sent a pop fly down the left field line which led to Bradsher racing home from second. Jackson launched a two-run homer that nearly reached the walking track beyond left field to increase Orange’s lead to 5-0. After Mary Moss Wirt and Kelsey Tackett each stroked singles to right field, senior Emma Puckett lined a 1-1 fastball to the fence in right field to bring in two more runs.

Though Orange had several threats, they failed to score in the subsequent three innings. The dry spell ended with five runs in the seventh inning. Jackson started with a leadoff double capped with a headfirst slide. Senior Gracie Colley, in her only plate appearance of the night, singled up the middle to score courtesy runner Brianna Wilkins. After Puckett singled, freshman Delaney Shaffer lined a fastball up the middle to score Colley. Courtney Watkins bounced another hit over second base. McPherson lined a two-run single to left field.

Robinson and Watkins pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.

Orange preserved the shutout after a spectacular play in the final frame by Wirt. After Northern had runners at first and second with no one out, Wirt made a diving catch on a soft liner hit by Northern’s Savannah Burton, then practically landed on second base to double up Macey Ellis, who led off with a double.

Orange will now await to see the 3A State Tournament bracket this weekend. They will host a playoff game next week.

The Orange softball team became the first squad in school history to go through the regular season undefeated on Thursday night. The Lady Panthers defeated Northern Durham 12-0 to finish the regular season at 12-0. It was Orange’s sixth shutout of the year. Junior second baseman Mary Moss Wirt helped preserve the whitewashing with an unassisted double play in the 7th inning after Northern placed its first two batters aboard with no one out. Catcher Lauren Jackson hit two home runs. She led off the second inning with a line drive laser that barely cleared the fence in centerfield. Orange scored six runs in the third inning, getting all of its baserunners after two outs were recorded. Jackson hit a two-run homer to left field. She later added a double off the centerfield fence as the Lady Panthers piled up 17 hits. After an undefeated regular season and claiming the Big 8 Conference Championship, the Lady Panthers now await the announcement of the 3A State Championship bracket. Orange will be the #1 seed from the Big 8 Conference and will host a playoff game next week in Hillsborough.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is softball sophomore shortstop Carson Bradsher. On Friday night, Bradsher went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated Northwood 13-2 at Charger Softball Field. In the fifth inning alone, Bradsher had two RBIs singles and scored twice. Through ten games, Bradsher leads Orange in seven offensive categories. She’s hitting .700, which also leads the Big 8 Conference. She has 21 hits, 21 runs, 18 RBIs, seven doubles, and four triples, along with eleven stolen bases. Softball is a family affair for Bradsher. Her mother, Shannon, played softball under former head coach Dave Murr at Orange when it was exclusively a slow-pitch sport. Her father, Wayne, is an assistant under head coach Johnny Barefoot. Wayne is a graduate of Orange and Carson admits to getting her quickness from her father. This week, Orange will play its final home game of the regular season. They face Southern Durham on Tuesday. Orange will travel to Southern Alamance on Wednesday in Graham, then travel to Northern Durham on Friday to wrap up the regular season. The Lady Panthers, who have already clinched the Big 8 Championship, are 10-0.